As personal violence crimes have increased in recent years, dispensers have been developed which spray chemical irritants for use in defending potential victims from would-be attackers. Carrying cases for these dispensers have also been developed in an effort to make the dispensers more convenient to carry and to use. U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,263, which is incorporated herein by reference, is such a device, which was designed such that the dispenser could be discharged by pressing down on a retaining flap passing across the nozzle of the dispenser. While such a device provides a convenient method of discharging the chemical spray, it may also result in inadvertent activation of the dispenser, particularly when the device is carried in one's pocket or purse.